using endorphin to make volume = LOUDER! (limiting ?'s)

  • Thread starter Thread starter shackrock
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shackrock

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i've read a ton on this stuff...but i guess it just isn't coming together exactly...

so, my mix seems like its loud, until i pop in another CD into the cd player - and relize its EXTREMELY quiet compared to a comparable music style (in this case weezer and/orpoison the well)....

so, i just popup the volume 4 db on n-tracks main mix window...but then it starts clipping....during our chorus' up to +6.2 on the VU meter! Now if i plug in the endorphion plugin (and leave it on default...so it stopps everything at -.02db), this theoretically should stop clipping all together (unless individual tracks are clipping...) - and i can increase infinately until i like where its at???

just a bit confused i guess....
 
Sorta, The thing to watch out for is that there may just be a couple of spikes in a specific frequency range that are killing your volume level. Look at the waveform and see if there a couple spikes you can manually lower.

Using a limiter will allow you to get the RMS (average level) up but it may adversely affect the sound if you have to use it too much.

I wouldnt expect to get your cd's as loud as commercial cd's unless you plan on having it mastered professionally. There's a reason their equipment and ears are so expensive.
 
hmmmmm them i see....

Alright maybe i'll just play with it, thats all i needed i guess.

thanks a million though.
 
what a peak limiter like the waves L1 will do is allow you to push your mix past the 0db threshold and then clip the part of the signal that went past 0db.

the problem is that the harder you push past 0db you are clipping off more and more of your needed sound.

if you've got some peaks in your individual tracks, go through your editor and pull those nasties down. then re-create your stereo mix, and take a look.

once you've gotten all the nasties down, you should not have to push your peak limiter so hard to get the loudness you want because your mix will be solid.
 
It's also best to take the peaks out of the individual tracks before mixing. That will give you cleaner results overall and means less messing with the final mix.
 
Careful, the more you compress/limit the more dynamics you lose. that's why major recordings sound so smooth and unreal.

-Sal
 
Shackrock -

Here's what I do when I use endorphine (I love this program):
I turn up the gain control in the Endorphine control panel by whatever it takes to get it loud enough (Depends on the actual mix, of course). I then start fidling around with the compressor settings, watching the compressor's level meters closly, and listening carefully not to over compress (It's especially important that you listen closely during the really quiet parts, and the really loud parts of your mix. If you're over compressing, you'll sure notice it there). I then start tweaking the Saturate feature, until I like the sound. When fiddling with a finished mix, I usually select "Tight" on the compressor type.
Endorphine is a wonderfull program. Don't just leave it at the default setting. Read the manual, play with it, use your ears, and you'd be amazed by the results.

Oren
 
when i pull down the individual peaks, you mean just maually? Isn't the program that does that automatically a limiter though? So just apply a limit at some point on each track (individualy)...THEN put the endorphin on so it stops the clipping?
 
Yeah, I'm also curious as to how to pull down peaks manually. Is just just limiting certain sections, or is there another way?

Christopher
 
Christopher -

Just use a Wave editor, like Sound Forge. Carefully select the peaks, and lower their volume by a few dB.

Oren
 
SalJustSal said:
Careful, the more you compress/limit the more dynamics you lose. that's why major recordings sound so smooth and unreal.

-Sal
isn't that the point? the kid wants a weezer sound. it doesn't get anymore compressed/limited than the weezer green cd
 
I find that I loose alot of headroom from low end frequencies. The kick usually steals alot from me.
 
true, but i actually dont like weezer green...ha

weezer pink first, then blue, then thier newest (maladroit) - i like that as well.

(in terms of music AND recording...I think at least).
 
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